One Heart
by minafinnes
Summary: Natalie and Nick deal with their relationship issues. They are in a relationship, even though they do not acknowledge it to each other. This is about their struggle to sate their appetites emotionally, physically, and spiritually. They are starving!
1. Chapter 1

One Heart

Chapter 1

Starving

Natalie stared at the computer screen in front of her. It all looked the same. She had become so distracted by her thoughts. Of course, they were of Nick. He was always foremost in her brain; never far away. Ever since the Divia drama, her relationship with Nick had changed. Not that it was bad. It was just that it was stalled. It was all so confusing, emotional draining, and physically draining.

There were many secrets he kept. At least, he thought they were secret. She knew them all. Call it a sixth sense or something. She knew he brought Janette back across. She knew about the medicine woman. She knew about his bargain with LaCroix. She knew he was drinking human blood, for the most part. She saw it in his blood, when she ran the tests. He had to know that she knew. She knew that he loved her and was trying to protect her. From what she was not sure. LaCroix's loyalties had shifted since the Divia drama. He had changed. So had Nick.

Nick had become protective and she really like it. He always wanted to know where she was at and what she was doing. It did not bother her because it made her feel secure. However, she felt lonely. Nick has become physically distant. Not that there physical relationship was anything to write home about. However, he did not caress her face or even kiss her on the cheek anymore. Yes, she spent the day quite often at the loft. She was there more than she was at her apartment. They drove in together more often than not. Yes, there was all kinds of gossip. She did not even care anymore. They had the strangest relationship.

Yes, they were in a serious relationship. They could pretend they were not but they were. All the signs were there. She had a drawer, part of the closet, and her part of the shared bathroom. He did have a bathroom downstairs but that was never an option. Her robe hung on the door beside his. He even had a few things at her apartment because occasionally (out of the necessity), he stayed at her place albeit on the sofa. It only happened if they were running late to get home.

They even had a few dates in the past few months. Dinner and a movie. No touching though. She tried but did not push the issue. He would not even hold her hand. Of course, he was always the gentlemen. That sucked! She was not sure what the problem was at the moment. They move forward in one area and something else bottoms out. There was no balance. She blew out slowly to let out a long bated breath.

How long they could keep this up? She did not know because she was about ready to burst. It was emotional. She loved him so much that her heart literally quivered. It was a weird feeling. It felt so right. They were so simpatico. (That is what Schanke would say) Even more so than most married couples. However, she was almost at her wits ends. She was wound tighter than a coil. Nick was on edge to. You could feel the electricity between the two. They were both…they needed…wanted…okay…they needed release. Grace had even mentioned it and told her she needed to do something about it. Nick was becoming hard to handle for Tracy. He was easily agitated and easily "set off" as Grace conveyed to her.

Recently Natalie, did some rehab on her knee and it was good to go. She found a much needed release for all her pent up energy; that is where the exercise came in. She resumed her swimming. She had been on the swim team in high school and college. She was really good too. It came back naturally. Well, that turned into walking. Walking turned into jogging. And now she was beginning to training for a 5K. It was for a local children's charity. It was for missing children. Natalie was running in memory of her goddaughter.

She was training two hours a day. Actually, she enjoyed the benefits. She had lost eight pounds but gained tone and muscle. She was looking good. She had a six pack because she hired a trainer for twice a week and he whipped her butt into shape. For 34 years old, she looked really good (not that it had any affect on Nick…he said nothing). However, she had been asked out twice in the past two weeks by men at the gym. Of course, she turned them down. She had no desire to be with anyone else. They were hotties but they were not Nick.

She had to face facts. No man would ever fill her heart the way Nick did. It was just a simple truth. It lingered in her soul. She belonged to him and no one else. No matter what happened. That is the way it would always be. Another simple truth. Not that there was anything simple about them because Nick was a vampire.

She did not care. He was more human than most people. His spirit was sweet and his heart swelled with compassion and love. His redemption needed to come to fruition. It had to come from him. He needed to go to God and ask for forgiveness and accept it. That is the part he had a hard time about. He did not understand that his works were good but they were not what would redeem him. Only God could do that. Natalie knew that. She needed to do it herself. She had faith and believed but needed to take it in and let it become a part of her.

She sighed a heavy sigh. There were needs in her that could only be met by Nick. She needed him to show her affection physically. He did sweet stuff for her all the time. He brought her dinner tonight so she would not have to go out in the cold. He had her car tuned up for her by a friend while at work. The list was endless. He did the things that a partner would do. Not just a friend.

This was not about sex. Okay that would help. It was about wants and needs that ran far deeper than the emotional. She wanted him to hold her hand, put his arms around her, kiss her, hold her, caress her, and run his fingers through her hair. Nothing too big. Just a little. Maybe she should just take it and be damned for the consequences.

She heard footsteps so she resumed scrolling through fixing the new assistants mistakes. He had to go. That was for another day.

She knew it was him before he even entered the room. She looked up from the screen, "Hey Nick!" She smiled at him. Of course, she was beaming. She inwardly slapped herself.

He smiled that smile, "Hey yourself!" He walked over to the side of the desk and leaned over and looked at her computer. He gave her a questioning look. "I thought you did not have to do those reports anymore. It was Wayne's job." He was frowning now.

She met his gaze. "I know but Grace said they had a lot of mistakes and she was not kidding. All he has to do is transcribe the tapes. It's crazy. He stinks."

"It's not your job!" He quipped. He was tired of this. Her job alone was enough.

"Nick, I know that but this is my department and I will not have that go out like that. I promise I will address it after the weekend. I do not want to deal with it right now. Too much other stuff to deal with." She began to grow weary from the conversation.

Nick senses it and went on to something else. "Guess what I got ticket to for tomorrow night?" She raised an eyebrow waiting for the answer. She was in no mood to guess. He sensed that to. "I was talking with Danning in vice and he told me that his daughters are sick so he and his wife can not go so he offered to sale them to me. It is tickets to see "The Best of David Foster" live. Celine Dion will even be there."

Without thinking, Natalie jumped out of her chair and threw her arms around Nick's neck and screamed with joy. She had been wanting tickets to that for a long time but they were sold out. Nick even tried to use his connections but it was too late. Natalie pulled back and looked at him with the biggest smile on her face and leaned forward and kissed him on the cheek. She then embraced him with all her might. She felt his arms around her squeezing her. They stood there like that for a good while. Nick rubbed his stubble against her cheek and Natalie closed her eyes and took in the moment... She needed this. It motivated her. It gave her life. It was so strange but she could not explain it.

She felt him rub her back up and down. He was communicating to her. This is what he needed to. It was weird that they could do that. He pulled back first (of course) by dropping his arms and stepping back. He looked at her with longing and hope. Yes, hope. Hope for what though? She did not know.

"Nat, I …" before another word was spoken, Tracy walked in the door with the report in her hand.

"Nat, what's up?" The chipper blonde smiled as she spoke.

"Just hanging out in the old stomping ground." Nat told her and returned the smile.

"It does feel that way sometimes, doesn't it?" Tracy replied.

"You got that right." Nat peered at Nick and he looked at her in a way that made her heart leap. He wanted to tell her something.

Tracy sensed she dropped in on something and excused herself because she needed to meet a friend for lunch.

After she left, Nick perched himself on Nat's desk with his arms crossed. She could tell he was processing something and she was not going to stop him because she wanted it to be something…anything to move them forward.

Nick closed his eyes, stood up straight, and walked over to Natalie by the work table. All he did was reach for her and pull her into his arms. Nothing was said. He held her with abandon. He was telling he knew how she felt. He was hungry for this type of attention too. He ever so slowly pulled back and peered into her blue eyes. He leaned forward and ever so gently lifted his mouth and kissed her on the forehead. He lingered and lingered. It was killing her. 'Do something already?' she thought. She was not moving. Before she knew it, Nick kissed her nose and ever so gently touched his lips to hers. It was a butterfly kiss. So gently you barely felt it but she felt it. All the way down to her loins. It was innocent. Like hell it was. That kiss was like a warning system. He pulled back and said, "I will pick you up at 5 and we can stop at the store for some food and stuff for you."

Natalie gave him her biggest smile. "Okay!" That was the best she could do. There they were. Standing in a morgue. Holding each other. A mortal and a vampire.

The funny thing was that the vampire was terrified of the mortal. His feelings for her ran so deep that his every thought was of her. Every breath was of her. Every step was to lead him closer to her. It was a magnetic pull. He knew she felt it. He tried to fight it. Not because he did not ant to act upon it. He did. More than anything in his life. LaCroix even released him from his bargain. He could not push past that she deserved better than this. She deserved a normal man with a normal life. Whatever that was. He knew how she felt. It went through him every time he was near. It gave him peace. It gave him joy. It gave him…hope. Hope for redemption and hope for them. The pull had become so strong that he dared not to touch her because he would lose it and they could not afford for him to do that.

Then there was the vampire. The vampire was docile around her. He guessed it was her love and acceptance as a part of him. She accepted it better than he did. The vampire wanted her blood. It called for it…all the time. It had gotten worse since the Divia incident. That is why he was drinking the human blood. It was the only way to have control. He hoped she understood that. He wanted more from her and wanted to give her more. It literally hurt him.

She was altruistic about the whole thing. Love conquers all. Faith will prevail. Hope for the future. He knew the reality. One moment of weakness could mean her demise. She would be lost to him forever and that would be the end of that. It would be the end of him. He would walk into the sunlight. She was his life and that was a simple fact. There was nothing else.

He needed her and she needed him. He loved her and she loved him. If only it all was that simple. Bottom line…they were both starving.


	2. Chapter 2

One Heart

Chapter 2

Binging

Binging is defined as the "consumption of large amounts of _food_ in a short period of time". Natalie was on the road to a binge because she had a bundle of nervous energy but did not feel like working out today before going to the loft. She could work out before she went into work. She was hungry.

She watched as the yawning Wal-Mart clerk scanned her purchases. Her trainer would kill her if he saw what she had on the conveyer belt. Two chocolate candy bars (at least she did not buy a whole pack), three types of cookies, two bags of chips (and not a baked one in sight), chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream (it was a small container), a can of cashews, yogurt covered raisins (that was healthy…dairy and a fruit), and a frozen pizza. She did have some organic veggies in their somewhere, 2% milk (anything lower than that was just plain wrong because her philosophy was that you should not be able to read a newspaper through your milk), and several "healthy" frozen dinners. Nick was surprised by all the food. He kept that thought to himself. He had lived long enough to know not to comment. Not that she was a health nut or anything but she usually did not buy ALL that kind of food at one time.

The cashier lazily pointed to the green total as he covered up another yawn with his hand and Natalie reached into her purse to pull out her credit card but Nick had paid her bill in cash before she could even get out her credit card. She looked at him with an angry turned up eyebrow. She was not happy. She did not like having him buy her stuff. She could take of herself. He just grinned and he knew he was going to get it when they got to the car. Actually, he looked forward to it.

Nick and Natalie grabbed her purchases. Natalie kept murmuring all the way to the car. Nick found it amusing. Good grief, he only bought her some groceries. If he had his way, she would pay for nothing but he knew that would never happen. They placed the bags in the trunk of the blue car and took their respective seats. Here it comes, Nick knew it. He and the vampire braced themselves.

"What the hell was that?" Natalie spewed at him with piercing blue eyes as she craned her neck towards him. She was fuming mad.

"What?" Nick decided to play dumb. He locked eyes with her. He could give as good as he got. She looked sexy when she was angry. He liked seeing her in this state.

"You did not need to pay for my food. I have my own damn money and I can very well afford to buy…" Before she could finish Nick actually leaned over to put his hand gently over her mouth. She was stunned. What the hell!

Nick leaned over and spoke calmly and gently. "Natalie, all I did was buy some food for a friend. You never let me do anything like that for you. It is a gift so just shut up already." He removed his hand, put on his seatbelt, started the car and began to back up out of the parking spot. It was not going to be pretty.

Natalie just sat there. Of all the nerve! On the bright side, he did touch her. She fastened her seatbelt but could not find words to come out. She just stared ahead. Nick sat in his seat and just grinned. She was speechless. In all the six years and three months that he had known her, he had only seen her this way on a handful of occasions. He rather enjoyed it.

Nothing was spoken all the way back to the loft. She did not know what to say. She was not used to having someone do things like that for her. It was hard because she had been on her own for so long. He was being generous and she was being prideful and stubborn. But she could take care take of herself and did not need him to take care of her financially.

The Cadillac pulled into Nick's garage beside Natalie's car. Nick turned off the ignition, unfastened his seatbelt, and got out of the car. Natalie just sat there. She knew she should apologize. However, she was going to stew and pout a little longer because she felt like it. That would show him.

Nick gathered the bags and his stuff and headed for the door. He went in without her. That should show her. Natalie heard the lift engage and was shocked. He had never done that before. Left her all alone when she was angry. Usually he tried to coax her with taunts of hot chocolate and a good chick flick. Nothing. Well, this was new.

Natalie disengaged herself and trekked over to the door and loaded herself and her stuff onto the lift. As the lifted ascended, Natalie's emotional turmoil began to wan. By the time the lift doors opened for her to exit, she knew she would apologize for her "fit".

Nick was standing there waiting for her. Smiling, nonetheless. "I wondered how long you were going to sit down there. I have your coffee brewing and am warming up a few of the cinnamon rolls for you." On cue, the microwave dinged. Nick turned his back to her and sauntered over to his kitchen. He made use of his time to prepare Natalie's meal.

She took off her jacket and deposited her stuff onto the closest table. She wanted to say something but could not. What was wrong with her? She just stared at him.

She walked over to the counter where he was working with his back to her. When he turned around, he was met with Natalie standing there with her hands on her hips and blue eyes scorching. She was about two feet away. He set her stuff on the dining table. He mirrored her mannerisms. Hands on hips and eyes scorching. "What?" He said.

"You put your hand over my mouth and told me to shut up." She spat.

"So. You were being ridiculous and you know it. I see it in your eyes."

"Well, you could have warned me." Her eyes wavered to the warm bun sitting on the table. The smell of coffee wafted to her nostrils and her anger was subsiding. Nick saw the magic of the cinnamon bun and the coffee working its voodoo. He could tell she was torn. Food or stand your ground. It was no match! He knew her all too well.

She looked down at her black dress pumps. Her hands still on her hips. "I am sorry."

"Did you say something?" Nick said.

"You heard me!" She mumbled.

Nick busted out laughing and pulled the chair out for her. She sat down like a pouting child and took in the smell of the wonderful confections on the plate. The next thing she knew a steaming cup of coffee was sitting beside her plate and someone was whispering in her ear. "You keep me on my toes!" She felt a flutter of a butterfly kiss on her ear. It sent shivers up her spine. Oh, he was dangerous but not because he was a vampire.

"I am going to take a shower and change. I'll be back in a bit." That was it. He just walked up the steps to the bedroom and left her to eat. He knew she would get over it!

Nick walked down the steps about twenty minutes later in his dark blue silk pajamas. There was Natalie at the table eating some cookies and drinking her coffee. She must have a sweet tooth today.

She had already closed the blinds and there sitting on the table was a mug and he smelled what was in it. He was a little shocked. Yes, she had poured a cup/glass of blood for him before but it was not a habit. He just took his seat and sipped. He had a stash upstairs and already fed…and well. He would need to. He had no control around her. She called to him constantly. Part of it was the blood but to his big surprise the largest part of the problem was emotional and physical. He needed to be with her…all the time. He could not help it. He was tied to her. He could not even begin to imagine what would happen if they were bonded. They had a connection without the blood bond and it was driving him to insanity. He wanted to tell her but could not seem to muster up the nerve.

They sat in silence and to his surprise she spoke looking into the mug in her hand. "I'm sorry, Nick. I am just not used to anyone taking care of me and I have been on my own for so long that it is hard for me to let others do stuff for me. Do you forgive me?"

Nick reached over and took the cup out of her hand and for the first time in awhile held her hand. He squeezed for effect, "There is nothing to forgive. I should have warned you. You need to let me take care of you sometimes." He took her hand and lifted it to his lips and placed a gentle kiss to each knuckle. Natalie was mesmerized. She closed her eyes and savored the moment because once again she knew it could be forever before she felt his touch. Two times in one day was a lot for him as of late. Did he know what his touch did to her?

Nick released her hand and when she opened her eyes, he was grinning at her. He knew exactly what he was doing. Their eyes locked. He was unguarded as she. These times were rare between them. The tension was electric and caused the hair to stand up on her arm. It went on forever. Emotion flowed between the current. Emotions that are usually locked away for safe keeping.

Nick cleared his throat after several long moments, "What movie shall it be?"

"Actually, I thought I could finish some of my work. It will probably take about an hour and then maybe we could watch "A Place under the Sun". We have not watched that one in awhile." Natalie waited for his response.

"While your working, I can return some calls. There is that fundraiser and I need to discuss some things with the director. It is 7:15 now, why don't we meet in the living room at 9." He stood waiting for her answer.

"That would be great!" Natalie refilled her coffee and retrieved her briefcase. She lifted out her laptop, some papers, and a pen. She begin to work right away on the kitchen table while nibbling on some more cookies.

Natalie finished her work in under an hour and finished off half a bag of chips. At this rate, she was going to have to workout for four hours. She stood up and stretched. Nick went upstairs to the bedroom to return his calls. He knew there were gong to be some lengthy discussions about this and that and he said he did not want to disturb her. He was considerate!

She clipped the bag of chips closed and placed it in the cabinet. She retrieved some more cashews. What was wrong with her? She seldom eats like this even during her period. However, she was going with it. She grabbed a handful of cashews and then made her way upstairs. She knocked lightly on the door as she opened it. Nick was sitting on the bed with some papers on his legs talking animatedly about the expenditures for the fund raiser. He looked up and she mouthed that she was going to take a shower. He nodded an affirmation as she made her way to the bathroom.

Once the door was closed, Natalie leaned against it, closed her eyes and put the remaining cashews in her mouth. Nick was still talking on the phone. She listened to the tilt and lift of his voice as he spoke fluent French. He was being _Nicolas de Brabant. She picked up a phrase her and there. She was okay with the language and could get herself out of a pinch. He was commanding and gentle. Of course, he was. He had more money than he could spend for the rest of forever and used it to help others (including herself). She heard footsteps and a door close. He had traveled downstairs to give her some privacy. _

_Tears formed in Natalie's eyes because this man was amazing and he did not even realize it. She wiped the wetness and began to prepare herself for a shower. She noticed a clean towel had been left out for her. She finished her shower and put on her wonderful pink robe. It was anything but sexy but it sure was comfortable. She entered the bedroom and retrieved her red/blue/green striped flannel pajama bottoms, an old gray t-shirt, and undergarments from "her drawer". She divested herself of the robe and dressed. Then, she toweled dried her hair and decided to let her long curly locks dry naturally. She scrunched up the curls to make sure they kept some form or shape. She was not in the mood to deal with it. When she was happy, she went back downstairs._

_Nick was on the leather sofa watching some news channel. Nothing was spoken as she made her way to the kitchen for some more refreshments: bottled water, more cookies, the rest of the chips, and a bowl of ice cream. Nick watched her out of the corner of his eye. He smiled. He had more blood while she was upstairs. Hey, if she could eat all that, he could have more blood himself. What is good for the goose is good for the gander. _

_Natalie plopped herself at the end of the couch closest to the stairs. Nick frowned. He had hopped she would sit closer to him. What did he expect? He did nothing to encourage her to sit closer. He got up and retrieved her blanket off the opposing chair. He sat back down and motioned for her to move closer to him. She was in shock for a second but shifted her stuff and snuggled close to him. _

_As they began the movie, Natalie ate her ice cream. Then, midway through the movie, to Nick's amusement, she finished off the bag of chips. After that, she ate six more cookies and gulped the last of the bottled water. "I'll be back. Pause the movie." Natalie went to the bathroom and then padded over to the kitchen to retrieve a candy bar. _

_She deposited herself snuggled closely to Nick and they finished the movie and she finished the candy bar. _

_ As the credits rolled, Nick took in her essence. She smelled heavenly of cinnamon, chocolate, and strawberries (her shampoo). His arm was around her shoulder and lazily brushed up and down the top of her arm. Natalie snuggled even closer and held him tighter. God, he had been so stupid to put distance between them. He was like a moth to a flame. He always had to touch her. For any reason. He was like an addict. He turned off the television and DVD player with the remote and sat it down on the table. He snuggled into her now. _

_ They sat there for a long while until Natalie yawned. "You probably should get some sleep." Nick quipped but not moving. He did not want to any time soon._

_ "Probably." She said quietly. She did not want to sleep alone. It was always the same. She on the couch or bed and vice versa. It always came back to sleeping alone._

_ Nick was trying to decide what to do. He could tell that she did not want to him to leave (and he did not) but they both needed some sleep. He spoke quietly and with a hint of sadness, "We should get some sleep. I'll take the couch." He began to untangle himself from her. _

_Natalie wanted to scream. They could sleep together and just hold one another. What was the big deal? She pulled away and sat up straight, "No, I'll take the couch." She was suddenly hungry again. _

_She abruptly got up from the couch and headed to the kitchen again and got a tall glass of milk and the rest of the cookies. She sat at the table. Nick was still sitting on the couch. He knew she was upset with him. He was just trying to do the right thing for both of them. Surely, she did not think that this is what he wanted for them. Absolutely not!_

_"I could…" He stopped. He could what? He did not know. He needed another drink. He would have to do it upstairs because Natalie would kill him. If she knew how much he had drank while she was upstairs. He would no longer be in this realm of existence. _

_Natalie just stared at him and ate her cookie and drank some milk. When she finished drinking and eating the cookie and swallowed the milk, she finally spoke. "It's fine because it was your turn anyway." She tried to smile at him but it came off as a frown. Neither was happy with the current state of affairs. _

_Nick walked over and to her surprise kissed her on the forehead and gently brushed her check with the back of his left hand. Then he was gone. In a flash. Just like that. Nothing else. This has got to stop! _

_She finished off the rest of the cookies. She groaned. She had eaten a whole bag of cookies, a bag of chips, two candy bars, one bowl of ice cream that had been piled high, a half can of cashews, and drank two glasses of milk. What was wrong with her? That was ridiculous. She racked her brain to think of the last time she had eaten like that. It did not take long. It was just two days ago when they had watched another movie. She on the couch and he in the chair. _

_She groaned to herself. She was going to have to really workout before work. She wanted to skip but she needed to do something. She needed to move and get out some of this nervous energy that kept racking her. It was driving her crazy! _

_Little did she know but Nick was upstairs and finished off two bottles of cow's blood. He groaned to himself. This had to stop. _

_Both Nick and Natalie had eaten a lot of food in a short period of time. It was definitely a binge…again. _


	3. Chapter 3

_One Heart_

_Chapter 3_

_Snacking_

Natalie woke up around 4 pm and sighed heavily. She felt horrible with all the junk she had consumed that very morning. She stretched languidly and yawned. She did have to admit that the leather couch was comfortable, no denying that. Thankfully, before finally falling asleep, she was able to remind herself that she did not have to work that night. She was going to work out. That was a fact. She needed to get up and moving if she was going to work out, and then go home and get ready for the concert.

Natalie did not even bother with coffee. She quietly went up the stairs and into Nick's bedroom. He was still sleeping. She went to the dresser and retrieved some work out clothes and her tennis shoes from the closet. She tiptoed into the hallway and down the stairs. She dressed in the middle of the living room. She removed her pajamas and was leaning over to get her workout clothes when she heard the bedroom door open. She had two options: she could grab her stuff and make haste to the bathroom or just continue. She opted for the latter. It was bound to happen sooner or later with all the time she spent here. She reached over for the t-shirt and put it on over her bra. She looked up and there was Nick at the top of the stairs. She just stood there gazing up at him, as he was still standing at the top of the steps.

He did not move. He just took her in. Oh, he had seen her in a bathing suit but this was different. It seemed an invasion of her privacy. But she was changing clothes in the middle of HIS living room. What did she expect? She was breathtaking. He slowly descended the stairs daring her to move. She just stood there in her t-shirt. Her legs were bare. He let his eyes wander down her shapely, muscular legs and up to her eyes. She did not waver but let him look all that he liked. Before she knew it, he was standing before her. Just inches away. Without thinking, he raised his hand and placed it on her cheek caressingly. Her breathing had become labored.

"Going to workout?" He whispered not wanting to break the spell.

"Yeah, I need to work off all that crap I ate last night." She still stood there and he continued to caress her cheek.

"Well, I guess you need to be going." He searched her eyes and they were smiling at him.

"Yeah, I do. Nick, I need to put on my pants and shoes."

"Oh, right." He regrettably dropped his hand and reached beside them and handed her the pants.

She took them and put them on in front of him. Why not? Then she sat on the sofa and put on her shoes and socks. When she finished, she stood up and there was Nick with her keys and all her stuff she needed to take with her.

"Be careful." He said and slowly handed her the items he possessed. He let his fingers linger on hers and kept eye contact the whole time. She wondered if all vampires did that or if that was just something that he did with her.

"I will." She answered as she began walking towards the lift. She turned slightly, "Nick, I am going to my place and you can pick me up for the concert around 7:00."

"Okay. See you then." He headed towards the refrigerator and she knew what he was going to be doing. Little did she know that he had already fed…again. This was just a snack. After their little encounter, he needed it.

Natalie worked out for over an hour. She worked her ass off. It felt good to do it. It made her feel vibrant and alive. And after the way Nick had looked at her, it motivated her even more. She needed to work more on her upper body. She would address that with her trainer in their next session.

Natalie arrived at her apartment at around 6 pm. It was still dusk. Sydney was ignoring her. However, when the food was poured and water dish filled, he became friendly again. She really needed to spend more time here. She quickly made coffee so she could sip it while she was getting ready and decided to eat a snack. Not that there was that much in her fridge and cabinets. She sliced up an apple and placed it on a plate with some peanut butter coupled with some "light" string cheese.

She was had only an hour to get ready for the concert. She thought semi-casual was the way to go. She decided to wear her new dress. It was a simple brown faux wrap dress that she had bought from the clearance rack at Anne Klein. It hugged her in all the right places and had only a hint of cleavage. She made sure she wore a good push up bra. For jewelry, she wore simple gold hoops and just her usual jewelry of only a watch. She looked at herself in the mirror and her hair looked good. She had pulled it back into a messy bun at the top of her head and there were ringlets all around her face. She looked really good. Her make up was simple. Nick did not like it when women wore a lot of make up. She agreed with him. She decided to wear her leopard printed pumps. They were a little high but they looked good with the dress. She chose a simple metallic bag. It was of decent size. She hated any type of evening bag. They were just too small.

As she entered the living room, the doorbell rang. She looked at the clock 6:58 pm. Perfect. Why didn't he just use his key? She had told him so on more than one occasion. She opened the door to see Nick standing there in a pair of navy blue slacks, white shirt and a matching jacket. No tie. He hated those things with a passion. It was obvious that what he had on was expensive and expertly tailored. She had to keep herself from drooling. He looked so good. He would make a good snack but she kept that thought to herself.

In his hands was a gorgeous arrangement of sunflowers. He handed them to her and said, "You look beautiful, Natalie." His voice was husky with emotion as she took the flowers.

"Nick, they are wonderful. You know you could have used your key. I really do not care." She smiled at him and walked to the kitchen with a swagger to her hips to get a vase as he closed the door. When she entered the living room with the flower arrangement, she placed it on her dining room table. It looked lovely. She smelled and caressed the flowers. Nick was standing behind her. She felt his breath on her neck.

She turned and he leaned in and surprisingly kissed her cheek and whispered, "We need to go." He lingered for several seconds before retreating.

She grabbed her purse and a wrap and took the arm that he offered. He locked the door behind them and they headed to the car.

The evening was really wonderful but perplexing to Natalie. The music was stellar. Parts of it were romantic. Of course, Nick never held her hand or touched her. It so confused her. He had been so affectionate at the loft, the morgue, and her apartment. Why would this be any different? She sighed to herself on several occasions because she wanted to touch him but she wanted him to want to touch her. It was a puzzle that she could not solve and was tired of trying. She felt so disappointed, as usual. She was so frustrated!

As the concert hall cleared out, Nick did place his hand on her lower back to guide her through the crowd. She savored the moment. If only, he would just leave it there. He did not. As the crowd dispersed, his hand moved away. Now she was just so frustrated to the point that she wanted to hit him. What in the hell was his problem? Could holding her hand send him into some type of vampire tirade? Not hardly. She was angry now. As Nick, opened her car door, he knew her mood had shifted but did not know why. He took his place behind the driver's seat and that was when Natalie turned him and said, "Just take me home." That was it and nothing else.

They drove to her apartment in silence. She tried to persuade him not to come up but that was not going to happen. He wanted to know what was wrong. She just ignored him. Upon entering the apartment, Natalie set her purse and wrap down on the arm of the couch and took her heels off. She walked to the kitchen to make herself a drink. She needed one and a strong one. Basically, she ignored him. She also grabbed some chips that had been looming her cabinet unopened for a few weeks.

Nick sat down on the couch. Oh, this was not good. This had happened before but not so quickly. He could not figure out what he had done. He had been the consummate gentlemen. He treated her with respect and joked with her during the concert. They talked about the music and enjoyed themselves. Or so he thought. In all his almost 800 years, he had never met a more complicated woman.

Natalie sure was taking a long time in the kitchen. He heard her moving around but made no movement of his own to see what she was doing. He was staying where he was planted.

Natalie took two shots of tequila and made herself a drink of diet coke and rum. She was generous with the rum. As she walked back into the living room, Nick had made himself at home. He had kicked off his shoes and jacket was sitting comfortably waiting for her. She did not know why but it just pissed her off. She wanted to punch him. How could he be so comfortable in her house? She plopped down at the other end of the couch and drank heavily from her glass and placed it on a coaster. Then she made haste of the bag of chips. She knew he would ask what's wrong and she was snacking to delay the inevitable. And maybe she would just tell him.

"Nat, did I do something wrong?" He asked her looking her straight in the eye with those crystal blue eyes that made her heart quiver. Damn it, he looked so concerned. Well, he should after what he has done or rather did not do.

She leaned over and took another long heavy gulp of her drink and stuffed a few more chips in her mouth. She had gotten a good buzz going and she was going to need it. Liquid courage is what they called it.

Natalie tucked her legs underneath her and spoke with a little bit of a slur, "You can be so clueless sometimes, Nick."

He was puzzled, "Clueless about what?"

"Think about it, Nick. I am sure you and the vampire can figure it out."

He genuinely thought over the evening and could not figure out where he went wrong. "Natalie, I have no idea what there is to figure out. We had a good time. I was even going to take you to do that diner you like but did not mention it because you were all of sudden so damned mad at me and I have no idea why. So enlighten me!" He challenged her. Now he was getting agitated.

"You, you did not…" She stopped and took a long swig of her drink and this time stood up for effect. "Oh yes, you were the gentleman. Too perfect of a gentleman."

"What the hell does that mean, Natalie?" His voice was raised this time. Now he was getting angry.

She stood in front of her place on the couch and began to shake her finger at him, "It means that you keep your hands to yourself way too much. Maybe if you used them on me every once in a while I would not be angry." She was a little drunk now. This is exactly why she did not drink that much. She was a lush.

He just sat there. Was she saying what he thought she was saying? He looked at her and she had a determined look on her face and her eyes were glassy. She was feeling good. He was not sure what to do. Oh, he knew what he wanted to do but that was not an option. Was it?

Natalie had enough of his crap. "Well?" She was waiting.

"Nat, I am not sure what your asking but if you are saying what I think you saying then we may have a problem." Oh, he so should not have said that. He did not mean it like that.

She closed the distance between and leaned over and poked him in the chest. They were face to face. He was getting a full view of her cleavage and it was a thing of beauty. He was mesmerized. "Let me tell you something, buster, I have spent the last six years waiting on you. Well, it is time to pay the piper. You know what is going on with us and I know it. It is time to stop this dancing or whatever you want to call it. We need to get on with it."

Nick looked her in the eyes halfway through her rant. He was busy admiring her cleavage. He was a male and enjoyed her view. Realization hit Natalie what he had been doing. She may be tipsy but she was not stupid. Oh, yeah, he was interested. She gave him a knowing look. "Do you like what you see?"

Nick closed his eyes for a moment, "You know I do!" He spoke softly.

"What are you going to do about it?" She challenged him. She managed to wiggle her way between his knees. She was standing in front him with her hands on her hips. Oh, she was ready for him to do something. _Please do something, Nick. I can not take it anymore._ She stood there for what seemed liked hours.

Nick's thoughts were not innocent. He was thinking about Natalie in a way he usually only did when he was alone. Without thinking, he raised both his hands and placed them over the hands on her hips and lifted himself up. They were standing nose to nose. She was not moving. He slowly moved his lips to hers. It was a simple little kiss. Nothing fancy. However, it spoke volumes to both of them. Denial was not a good thing. Nick's hands gently cupped her face and he kissed her deeper this time. He parted her lips with his in gentle exploration. He kept things in control. He needed to know he could. Ever so gently his hands massaged the chords of her neck and he kissed her again but this time allowed his tongue to explore the cavern of her mouth. Within seconds, her tongue was exploring his. Nick moaned into her mouth as she caressed his canines. She was careful because she was no fool. Nick was still a vampire. They were on dangerous ground and she knew it. This was what he had wanted and denied himself.

Natalie stopped the kiss because unlike Nick, she needed to breathe. Her chest was rising and falling. She rested her forehead against his trying to control her breathing. Nick's hand was now placed possessively around her waist. "Is this more like it?" He quipped when her breathing had reached a normalcy.

She wrapped her arms around his neck. "It's a start, Nick, but only that. A start."

With that that he kissed her again, this time he allowed his passion to infuse the connection. Natalie could feel that he let himself go and allowed herself to do the same thing. They were both always in control of everything. Letting go gave a good result. The result was a kiss that left them both breathless (as much as Nick could be) and wanting. They needed to slow down.

Talk. Interestingly, the vampire never even really surfaced. Of course, Nick's canines dropped but that was just a normal reaction to any type of stimulation or arousal.

"Where do we go from here?" Natalie questioned Nick.

"I think we both know that. We take things slow and move forward. Nat, I do not know how far our physical relationship can go without the vampire interfering."

"Nick, do you really think that I don't think about the consequences of kissing a vampire? However, as I thought, it is not an issue. I wanted to kiss the vampire too. He is a part of you and I want all of you. Not just a part. That is not fair to either of us."

She never ceased to amaze him. The vampire had remained docile because he knew that he would eventually get his due when the time was right. He knew before Nick that Natalie loved him too.

"Nat, you know this changes things."

"Nick, sometimes you are so naïve. What will change? Other than we share a physical relationship. We are already are in a relationship. I know we keep denying it but we both know that has not been true for the past few years." She beamed at him.

"What do you mean?" He was going to play this one dumb.

"We spend the night at each other's places. We share our lives. We drive into work together. We date each other. We don't see other people. We are committed to each other. Please tell me you are just messing with me."

He laughed and tweaked he nose with his finger. "Natalie, there is no denying what has been going on anymore because even with denial the very thing we were denying was happening."

"Well, before this goes any further, Nick, there are a few things we need to discuss."

"The talk, right?" Nick asked.

"Yeah, we can start with Janette." Oh boy, her they go.

"You know?" He questioned.

"Nick, of course, surely you didn't think I did not know who killed those guys at the bus station. I am not stupid. You turned her back, didn't you?"

Nick released her and sat back down, "There was a fire and she would have died. She was not happy with me but I did the right thing. She has come to realize that but living without Robert has been difficult for her, I guess. We have not spoken, but I feel our bond. It is weakened with distance."

Natalie felt his turmoil and sat down beside him to provide comfort. She should tell him. "Nick, Janette and I have been e-mailing each other for awhile now. She contacted me about Patrick. She knew I would understand. She bears you know no ill will. She just needs time. She desires to be in your life. She loved Robert very much and she is in mourning. I can relate to that and she knew I could understand because of our relationship. She loves you and wants you to be happy.'

Nick was in shock. She knew about Janette. He figured she did but now it was confirmed. This woman was anything short of amazing. He was not sure of other secrets she might know. That would be for later.

"This has been some night, huh!" Nick quipped and intertwined his fingers with hers. "How about we relax and listen to one of the new CDs I bought?"

"I thought you never ask." Natalie smiled as Nick leaned in to give her a quick peck on the lips.


	4. Chapter 4

_One Heart_

_Chapter 4_

_Appetites_

_Nick opened his eyes and heard the heartbeat of the one laying next to him. She had her leg thrown over his but her head was turned in the opposite direction. He smiled to himself because for the first time in a really long time, he felt truly happy and content. Last night had been a turning point for both of them. He even spent the night at her apartment in her bed. She had installed thick black velvet brocade draperies a long time ago to protect him from the sun throughout the apartment so he could feel free to move about her domain. _

_He recalled how they had sat for hours on her couch cuddled up together listening to the CD, talking, and kissing. They kissed…a lot. He felt like a teenager. He could not get enough of her. It was a new feeling for him. He had never really had this type of a relationship with a woman. Even when he was human. Things were so different in his time. Oh, he was no virgin by the time he had been turned into a vampire but he also was not all that experienced compared to others of his time. He had not had his first sexual encounter until he was 23 years old. Not that there had not been offers. There had been plenty but he just was not that interested. He was picky. He laughed to himself. Today, he would be considered a prude. _

_He assumes that compared to other vampires of his age, he was probably not as sexually experienced as others. Sure, he had his share of sexual partners. He was no monk but he has never been one to just have sex just for hell of it. He was going to have to talk to Natalie about this at some point. There had only been Janette and one other person since he had met her. Hell, he has not even touched another woman in a few years. He wondered how much Natalie really knew._

_Nick has become barraged with a series of questions in his mind: How many men had Natalie been with? Had there been anyone over the course of the past six years in her bed? Had there been contact that he did not know about? He did not think so but the thought of another man touching her, in any fashion, just made his blood boil. Roger Jamison has been the only suitor that he knew of. He knew it was ridiculous because he had not been exactly "faithful". However, a few years ago when he finally reconciled to himself that Natalie was truly his soul mate, there had been no other person in his romantic life. He was 100% committed to her. _

_He felt her begin to stir and she turned and smiled at him. She raised her hand and cupped his cheek, "Good afternoon." He turned his head and placed a gentle kiss in her palm. _

_"Good afternoon to you." This time he leaned into her and gave her a quick kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, she smiled at him. To his surprise, she reached over to him and hugged him and began to gently cry. _

_She finally pulled away and sat up while she reached over for a tissue off her nightstand "I'm sorry, Nick. It's just that this is so…" She trailed off blowing her nose. He placed his arm around her shoulders for . reassurance. He really did understand the overwhelming feeling of emotion barraging her. It was a lot to take in after several years of suppression. _

_"Nick, I need to go the restroom." She quipped as she quickly jumped off the bed and made haste to the restroom. He heard a flush, a cabinet shut and some water running. She emerged a few minutes later. It gave him a good view of her in his white shirt. She looked so sexy wearing his shirt with the sleeves rolled up. It stirred him both physically and emotionally seeing the woman he loved and adored wearing something of his in such an intimate way. He hungered for her!_

_He quickly emerged off her bed and stood in front of her. He was wearing some pajamas that had been left here from another "sleepover" but he had slept on the couch. He pulled her to him. He wanted her to feel how she affected him and express to her physically what he was feeling. As of yet, he had not said the words but wanted to show her. He took her lips in a frenzied passion. His appetite for her was unyielding. He kissed her over and over. He feasted on her mouth. Finally, she said, "Nick, I need to breath." He usually forgot that. All he knew, is that he wanted more of her. He was like a starving man. _

_After catching her breath, Natalie said, "Nick, you sure do like to kiss." They both busted out laughing, at the same time, because the situation was comical. Two grown adults acting like teenagers. _

_"Well, I like kissing you. Trying to make up for lost time. Hope you don't mind!"_

_"Uh, no. I rather enjoy it." She grinned at him. She was so thankful that he was taking things slow and in this direction because there were still many things they needed to work through regarding their physical intimacy. _

_"Nat, do you think that we can both call out tonight?" Nick questioned as he held her loosely to him._

_"I don't see why not. Actually, it is kind of a good time because I am somewhat caught up and besides you and I are rarely out. However, you do know that there is going to be gossip." She waited for his response._

_"Do you care?" He replied._

_"Nick, do you really think that everyone thinks we are "just friends"? I mean there is that office pool about when we finally make it "official". She grinned at him. She hoped he would not lose it on her. _

_"Please tell me you are toying with me. Who started that?" He spoke through gritted teeth. He was obviously annoyed. Who would do such a stupid asinine thing?_

_Natalie knew he would be annoyed. She only knew about the pool because Grace had told her a few months back. However, when he found out, she knew he would not be surprised by the culprit. She just said one name, "Schanke"_

_Nick slowly removed his annoyance and began to smile thinking about his friend. "Well, I should have known because he was always after me about asking you out and pressuring me to do something about our obvious attraction."_

_After that, they both called out and Nick sat on the couch drinking from his mug and Natalie was in the kitchen getting her coffee and some breakfast. She still had not changed. Nick was thankful for that. He enjoyed the view tremendously. Finally, she joined him and turned on the news. They both ate and drink their respective meals and watched the news. _

_Nat turned to him, "Well, what's the plan?"_

_"Well, I think we both need to get cleaned up and I am amendable to just hanging out here." He responded._

_"Okay, I will go take a shower." She said as she made the way to her small kitchen to deposit her items. Before she knew it, she felt him behind her as she was rinsing her coffee cup. She turned off the water and leaned back into him as she dried her hands on the towel. She could barely breathe. He kept doing this to her; surprising her with his affections. As she leaned back to meet his gaze, he swiftly too her lips in a mind blowing kiss. He found her lips and kissed her again. Only this time, things were much more heated. He immediately parted her lips and swept his tongue into her mouth. She tangled her tongue with his in a bout of unrestrained passion. Interestingly, his fangs never made an appearance. She swept her arm up and cupped the back of his head seeking more contact. Nick pushed his body into hers while she pressed back. She felt what she knew. He was aroused, in a human way, but where were his fangs? She let that question move to the back of her mind as she focused on his kisses. When she came up for air, she hurriedly turned herself around and connected her lips to his and continued the assault. It began to go out of control. Nick kissed his way from her lips to her ear to her neck. He swept his tongue over her neck over and over before working his way back up to her lips. He kissed her again and again and again. However, this time, he began to grind his hips into hers in a way that had Natalie swooning. It had been so long since she had gone this far with a man. She let him lead never daring any more than she already had this evening. He needed to know he was in control. Finally, after several minutes of kissing, Nick politely excused himself and said something about a "cold shower"; but it had not been the first time. There had been many over the years. _

_Natalie sighed and finished her task of clearing their breakfast dishes. She loaded the dishwasher. While waiting on the shower, Natalie pondered their situation. Things definitely were in a different place. How did she feel about that? Elated beyond measure but she found it interesting that his fangs had not dropped during their kissing session. He was obviously aroused. She found this interesting. Always the scientist. It gave her something to think about while waiting for her time in the shower. _

_About fifteen minutes later, Nick stepped out of the bedroom door fully dressed in a pair of jeans and a black t-shirt. He smiled at her. "Your turn." _

_She returned his smile as she retreated to the bathroom to ready herself. She took a quick shower. She decided that no make up was appropriate and allowed her hair to dry naturally. She scrunched her curls with some gel and then got dressed. She put on a pair of old jeans and an old gray college t-shirt. She looked fine for an evening in with Nick. _

_When she finally appeared in the living room, she saw Nick petting Sydney. Sydney seemed to sense that something had changed. She knew he was always gifted. _

_Sydney jumped off the couch and pranced over to her and rubbed against her leg. She swooped him up and rubbed her nose in his familiar fur. Her time with Sydney was interrupted by Nick who said, "Uh, Nat, I would have fed him but I could not find his food."_

_"Oh, actually, we ran out yesterday. The extra food is in the spare bedroom. I keep an extra back up bag in the closet." She dropped Sydney in Nick's lap and made about feeding her boy. After that was done, she asked Nick what he wanted to do. He suggested that when it became dark, they should go for a drive to the waterfront and talk. She thought it was a lovely idea. _

_In the mean time, they watched an old comedy from the 80's and watched half of a romantic comedy until the sun went down. _

_Finally, they were seated in the car, it was early spring but warm enough to put the top down on the Caddie. Natalie did wear a sweater because there was still a little nip in the air. Nick played a light rock radio station as he guided the Caddie to their destination. When he parked, Nat waited for him to open her door. As she exited the car, he grabbed her hand and they began to walk. They trekked for a good twenty minutes before Nick finally broke the comfortable silence as he led her to a bench far away from other people. They sat down and the view was spectacular with the city lights reflecting off the water and the clear sky looming overhead with the brilliance of the stars. _

_Nick put his arm around her and pulled her close to him. Brushing his cool lips over the top of her head before speaking. "Nat, I want to make one thing clear before we go any further. Under no circumstances, will I leave you!"_

_Nat knew there was more. He needed to finally say what they both felt. He lifted her head by her chin and looked deep into her eyes before continuing. What he saw was hope. "Nat, you know how I feel about you, don't you?"_

_"Nick, I need you to tell me." She tried to cover up her desperation. She needed to so hear those words again that had been uttered four years ago. I guess she would need to let him know that she remembered everything from that Valentines Day so many years ago. That was another conversation for later. She met his gaze._

_"Natalie Lambert, I love you more than words can say. Those words don't seem to be enough to express what is in my heart. I need you and want you in every way possible. In all my years, I have never felt this way about another woman…ever." He held her hands in his and watched as tears began to pool in her clear blue eyes. He saw relief in their depths. She had been holding her breath for the duration and began to expel the air in a controlled fashion._

_"Oh, Nick. I love you, too. How could I not? You are everything I have ever wanted in a man and more. I know you think that I am missing out on something in my life but I promise you that I am not. You fill my heart." Natalie busted out laughing through her tears. "We sound like some bad romance novel." _

_"We do." He concurred. "However, I promise you that I will not throb or pulsate with lust." _

_Natalie started giggling so hard that she almost made herself sick. Nick laughed as he had not in years. That is why he loved their relationship so much…their ability to find humor in their situation and their laughter spoke to his very soul. Cheesy, yes, but the truth. _

_After the bout of hilarity, Nick knew they needed to talk about some more serious issues. Regardless of how they felt, there were still dangers that even Natalie was not aware of in his community._

_"Nat, there are some other things we need to discuss related to the community."_

_"Okay"_

_"Nat, at some point, I will need to mark you, even if we are not intimate. I will need to exchange blood with you so that others will not bother you. Because of my standing in the community as an elder vampire, my blood mark will keep others at bay. Also, you are under the protection of being connected to LaCroix and nobody would dare to cross him. He is even an Elder on the Final Committee." _

_Natalie looked somewhat perplexed to the reference to his father. She was curious. "Would LaCroix approve of our relationship?" _

_"He gave his blessing to me after the Divia incident." Nick explained._

_Natalie knew this was the time. "Nick, I remember that night." She locked with his eyes hoping for recognition without explanation. _

_"I didn't know." He said._

_"I'm sorry but I knew you were trying to protect me. Janette called me a few times and I asked her about it and she explained some things to me. I understand now more about why he felt the way he did. I don't think he is justified in it but I understand because if he felt one iota of what I feel for you for Fleur; then I can at least have compassion for him." Nat desperately searched his expression for his feelings._

_Nick closed his eyes, "Nat, he absolved our bargain and extended to me his protection if we ever decided to take our relationship to its natural course. He told me he finds you a rare find in a woman and thinks you could be a wonderful addition to the family, if that was a choice we ever decided to make."_

_"Huh? Would you ever consider that Nick?" Natalie could not contain her surprise._

_Nick opened his eyes. "I don't know Natalie. I really don't know. I could not ever imagine my life without you but I don't know if I could ever damn you to this existence."_

_"But I will only get older. I mean we could get lucky and Janette's cure could work for us but I don't want that to be our only option. I am not getting any younger Nick. Each day, I become one step closer to death. I won't lie to you and tell you that I would rather that our life take a natural path but if that is not to be then so be it. I would rather live as a vampire for eternity with you than live a lifetime of torment knowing that death loomed for me right around the corner."_

_"Natalie, you need to really think about this before we continue. Once we exchange blood, there is no turning back. You are bound to me until death!"_

_Natalie cupped his cheek. "Nick, a life without you is death."_

_"You are a remarkable woman, Natalie Lambert."_

_"So I have been told." She smiled gently and leaned over and kissed him on the lips. "There is more?"_

_"Yes. If you are not marked within a certain amount of time, we will have to deal with the Enforcers. You have been left alone because of your aid to the community of vampires and because of LaCroix but that only goes so far." He informed her._

_"I understand. How long do we have?" She inquired._

_"Five years, once we become public." Nick replied._

_"How does that work?" Natalie asked._

_"This is going to sound so strange because we are vampires but I literally submit a letter of acknowledgement to the Elders on the Final Committee." _

_"Are you serious?"_

_"Yes, I am serious." He grinned. "Vampires may be old but we are definitely in the 21__st__ century."_

_Natalie began to chew her bottom lip. "How soon can you do this?"_

_"Uh, Nat, we still have some time."_

_"No, I want it done as soon as possible. There is no reason to wait any longer. We have waited too long already. I want to get this show on the road." She stuck her chin out to let him know that he had no option._

_"You need to know that this is not always the case. You are being given special considerations because of your commitment to the protection of our kind." He explained._

_"Are you saying that it is a privilege that I have earned?"_

_"Yes, and one well deserved." _

_"Well, that's unexpected." She sat in awe for several seconds. _

_"Nat, can we talk about a few other things and come back to this later. I will submit the letter within the week."_

_"What is it?"_

_"We need to talk about something but this is hard for me because of my principles."_

_Nat knew this had to be about sex. Gracious he was such a prude sometimes. She would just put it out there. "Nick, is this about sex?" She quirked an eyebrow at him._

_"Well," he blushed as much as a vampire was capable of. Sometimes it was like she could read his mind. It was scary._

_"Just say it."_

_"It's more than just about sex, Natalie. Sex for vampires is different." He finally was able to meet her eyes. _

_"You are so adorable when you are embarrassed." Natalie teased with her eyes gleaming. "Nick, you have talked to me about the blood before. Do you mean that the blood exchange between vampires is a form of sex?"_

_"Yes." She never ceased to amaze him. _

_"I know you can have sex with a mortal but what about the blood exchange?"_

_He just decided to go with the flow. She was being open about this so he figured he could do it too. "I have to have so much to climax but the problem is being able to stop because your blood will make me want to drain you?"_

_"You mean it will be like a dessert for you because of your feelings for me. Not like I am just some other mortal?"_

_"Yes. It may be difficult for me to stop and Nat, I am not very good at turning others as you already know." He had told her about Alyssa a few months back. She felt bad for him and it gave her more insight about his reservations. _

_"We take things slow. There are other ways." She now blushed._

_"Oh, really." _

_"You're teasing me now." Natalie scolded him._

_"Nat, what do you know about "other ways"?" He wanted to know so bad._

_"Nick, I am a doctor."_

_"That does not answer my question." He scolded._

_"Are you trying to find out about my sexual experiences?" She responded._

_"You are way too intelligent for me." _

_"Well, all you had to do was ask." She actually sounded a little irritated._

_"I was not sure how you would react."_

_"Well, there is not that much to tell, Nick. It's not like I have had a lot of time for relationships. I have always been a relationship type of girl. Something I am sure you already knew." He nodded his head in affirmation. "I have really only had one sexual partner for all intents and purposes and that was Giles from college. We were together for over three years and then he moved to New York. I am not going to lie to you and tell you that I never "fooled around" with a few guys but that is about it. I have never done anything out of the scope of normal stuff." Oh, God she hoped he did not ask for more details because then he would know how inexperienced she really was for a woman of her age. _

_Nick placed his hand on her knee for reassurance and gently squeezed. "Nat, you know in the blood exchange, we will know all about each other. I just want to get this part out in the open and a few other things but we can talk about that later." _

_"I have never done things that many of my girlfriends had because I never wanted to do certain things because I did not feel comfortable with it; however, with you, I don't feel that way." She turned as red as a beet._

_"Oh, Nat. I would NEVER ask you to do ANYTHING you did not want to do. You need to know that. I want you to be comfortable." He told her._

_"Thanks, Nick." She smiled and was crying again. Nick reached over and wiped her tears away with gentle kisses to her face. She just could not seem to control her tear ducts._

_"Nick, I just don't want you to think I am a prude." She began a new set of waterworks._

_"I would never think that, sweetheart. You have never given me any reason to think that about you. I mean a prude would not stand in the middle of my living room half naked letting me watch you get dressed." He remarked with a smile._

_"I guess not. I just worry that I will not be able to live up to your expectations. I just don't have a lot of experience."_

_"Natalie Lambert. You definitely have the wrong impression about my sexual prowess. Yes, I have lived a long, long time and yes, I have had numerous sexual encounters. Good grief, I am over 800 years old. However, I promise you that I do have areas in which I am not…how do I say this…skilled. There are some things that just come natural out of a loving relationship. The fulfillment sexually is one of those. Love plays such a heavy role in that. We love each other. As cheesy as it sounds, our love is timeless and special. Not everyone shares our type of love. What we have is unique and extraordinary." He pulled her to him and held her for several minutes. This was not the path he had wanted their conversation to take; but evidently fate had another idea. _

_"Nick, I love you." Natalie mumbled into his neck._

_"Natalie, I love you too." He smiled to himself. _

_"I'm hungry." They both said simultaneously._

They both busted out in gales of laughter. They decided it was time to appease their appetites…for their respective foods.

6


End file.
